The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-11
ApuLTERATep PEPPER.
The Tricks OF the Trade in the Indispensa-
BILE Table Condimeat Explained.

gatlOn INTO the adulteratlOn OF 10O0k
can not be complete without some in
formation of the tricks of the pepper
trade. When the highest import duties
were placed upon spices. and particu-
larry on pepper. the adulteration of the
latter article was so general that f.
teen years ago 1t would have been i'm.
possible to purchase the real cOndiment
in any grocery store. Rice flour was
the principal aduiterant used, but the
lowest grades were freely mixed with
common -four of all descriptions and
even with corn meal. When the duty
was taken off spices in 1884. the price
of pepper was much reduced, and a,
the same time IN adultcration act was
passed in several States. The duty was
taken off pepper in the United Kingdom
ten years before that time, and in 1874
white pepper was sold at twelve and
thirteen cents a pound, black being
about half that price.
Low prices and a decrease in the
adulteration greatly increased the con-
sumption of pepper in Great Britain.
Since 1881 the production of pepper
has been gradually decreasing. and the
volcanic disturbances which took place
in Java and in the Strait settlements in
1888 destroyed many pepper planta-
tons and spread general disaster
through the producing regions of the
East. Since then the price of pepper
has nearly doubled in consequence of
the short supply and manipulation by
London capitalists.
the market price of pepper is now as
high as it was with the duty; therefore
the adulteration business is again in a
Furnishing condition. To-day it is
carried on with more slyness and tact
than formerly, and while pepper for
table use may be adulterated to the
extent of so per cent, the spice may be
sold as pure pepper. This may appear
strange to the uninitiated, but it is
easily explained. There are several
kinds of pepper. That usually sold for
table use is the one known to commerce
as black pepper and white pepper, both
the same article, only the white has
undergone process of bleaching. The
market prices of these are fourteen to
fifteen and One-hali cents and twenty
three to twenty-seven cents respect
lively. There is another kind of pepper.
known to commerce as long pepper,
which is worth about twelve cents.
This is not by any means so rich in
pcpperine-the active element ofpepper;
it contains ouly 10 per cent. against
$50 to 6 per cent in good Singapore
black or white pepper. This long
pepper is used to considerable extent in
mixing with both black and white. In
some cases 80 per cent. is used. This
enables the seller to guarantee it rs
pure pepper, whereas it has hardly
more than third the actual strength
of the genuine article. While this
practice is almost universal in this
country. there has never been case
brought before the public by those who
have the adulteration of food under
their care, and it is well known that
even those houses which boast of selling
pure spices are guilty to some extent of
the trick. A recent decision has been
made in Great Britain which now rem
ders all dealers liable to fine who sell
any kind of pepper which has been re-
duced by the addition of cheaper grades.
Another trick is to grind common
ginger and mix it with pepper. This
reduces the strength of the pepper con-
siderably, and to get over this diff
Guilty there is an addition of ground
chillies, or what is commonly known
as red pepper, put in. Red pepper is
very strong and produces a burning
sensation, and, while the commences.
kind of black pepper is worth thirteen
cents on the market, good chillies for
grinding purposes can be bought for
six to six and half cents. The differ
ence'in price is quite an item, and a
little goes a long WAY. If the con-
sumner gets very strong pepper, which
burns the palate, it is safe to say that it
is greatly adulterated by the addition
first of some cheap article devoid of
and then burned up, as it
were, with cheap red pepper.
Recently there has appeared another
ldulterant named poivrette, which is
nothing else than ground olive stones.
1t is worth one-half cent pound in It.
,ly, and can be delivered here at about
double that figure. 1t is almost taste
e,s. and is similar in color to ground |
pepper, but perfectly useless rs a spice.
It has none of the redeemable features |
If ginger, long pepper or chillies, but
8 perfect fraud on the consumer.
For Il long time analysts were baffl cd |
10 find simple Il test but recently DR.. |
]. Campbell Brown, of Liverpool, has
ound one. The pepper is boiled until all |
he starch is absorbed into the water. |
Then more water is added to wash
he solid particles, which are then |
strained and placed upon white sur
ace. If there are yellow particles then
his shows the presence of ''peperate"
,r ground olive stones. On testing
hem with the teeth, they will be found
o he hard and gritty, while the pepper
8 soft and easily crushed.
There are some dealers who still use
he old adulterants, such as rice flour,
wheat -four and corn-meal; but the
more extensive firms use peppers of an
Inferior grade. 1t is strange that while
wen now adulterated pepper is quoted
Ii theprice-lists of large jobsing houses
here has never been any attempt to put |